Penetrating oil - where to buy?

loyatemu

anywhere around the city centre I can get penetrating oil (google suggests Liquid Wrench and Kroil are the best but they seem to be US brands)?

no pics of KY jelly etc please...

robtri

i usually use WD40... does the job most of the time for me... and u can get it anywhere

cnocbui

WD40 is not a lubricant, it's a moisture displacement agent.

A thin synthetic engine oil would likely do the trick, something like a 0W-40 grade. Just straight it might work but mix some with some lighter fluid and you would have something that would really penetrate and provide lubrication. Kerosene would work as a thinner also.

Nissan doctor

WD40 will do the trick.....it is, of course, a lubricant.

mickdw

cnocbui wrote: »

WD40 is not a lubricant, it's a moisture displacement agent.

WD40..... water displacement receipe no 40 originally I believe. It is a moisture displacement agent but it is officially recognised as a penetrating oil too.

cnocbui

The one caveat I would like to share is that WD-40 is NOT a lubricant. Please note that nowhere on the cans bottles and literature does it say lubricate. Although there is an amount of "slipperiness", this is a rapidly evaporating carrier. The primary function of WD-40 is a solvent and rust dissolver. It "lubricates" by breaking stuck bonds, not by making something less "frictionable" for any length of time. Silicone, Teflon and Lithium are better, more longer lasting choices for true lubrication.

http://www.naturalhandyman.com/qa/qawd40.html

Newsgroups: sci.chem
From: B.Hamilton@irl.cri.nz (Bruce Hamilton)
Subject: Re: WD 40 Ingredients
Date: Thu, 12 Jun 1997
...
I've analysed a similar product, and it was around 80%
kerosine, 10% acidless tallow oil, and 10% lubricating
oil light base gade - with some additional antioxidants
added to improve durability. When the composition of
WD-40 last came up in sci.chem, I wasn't sure if it was a
water displacing solvent only, but subsequently there
has been a long discussion about the film left behind in
some rec.* groups - which is why it should not be used as
a lubricant, the film is only a temporary corrosion protective
layer.

That would make WD-40 like the formulation above.
The kerosine is the solvent, the tallow oil and lubricating
base grade provide the means for the fluid to displace
water from surfaces and, when the kerosine has evaporated,
leave a thin, protective film on the surface that provides
temporary corrision protection. It is possible that it may
have some solid lubricant in it ( PTFE,Graphite,MoS2 ),
but I suspect there would not be enough to provide any
useful lubrication - and thus should not be used to wash
"proper lubricants" off bearing surfaces, chains etc..

http://yarchive.net/chem/wd40.html

WD-40 Is Not A Lubricant

Posted in advice, locksmithing on March 22nd, 2009 by The Locksmith – Be the first to comment Hands up all those who remember when the full name of WD-40 was Rocket WD-40.
WD-40 is a water-displacement spray. It was the 40th attempt at a formulation to displace water from rockets awaiting launch, and thus prevent pools of standing water and hinder corrosion. It was developed in 1953 by Norm Larsen for the San Diego Rocket Company.
It’s primary constituent is a heavy, sticky, viscous oil. To help WD-40 get to where it’s needed this oil is diluted with lighter hydrocarbons which quickly evapourate.
The point is that WD-40 is excellent for displacing water and keeping it displaced and it’s excellent at penetrating. What it’s not good at is lubricating.
If you have a lock that not working smoothly, do not use WD-40. You are effectively squirting glue in there. And you are washing away any grease that the manufacturer put in there (although well-designed and well-made locks, like Chubbs, for example, don’t need lubricant.) Use a silicone spray or a teflon (PTFE) spray, or better still some graphite. If you can’t find graphite but you can find a soft (2B, 3B) pencil, scrape some graphite off that. Graphite is slippery because its carbon atoms are in flat sheets that slide over each other. And it will remain slippery forever for all practical purposes.

http://www.clapham-locksmiths.co.uk/blog/tag/lubricant/

Go ahead, use it, but if you want a spray lubricant that penetrates, get a €1 can of the spray silicone oil Lidl sell at regular intervals, that stuff is about 100 times better than WD40 and a lot cheaper.

mickdw

You seem to have started the argument about it being a lubricant with yourself. There is a different between a full on lubricant and a penetrating oil. The OP wanted a penetrating oil. WD40 is recommended for this purpose and is pretty effective.

PaulKK

Boots may be able to sort you out.


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:pac:

kona

WD40 will do the job as a penetrant, but depending on the application, Im sure there is a better choice. WD40 is excellent at making rusted parts move. Its not a lube though.

To join in on the off topic part, It never ceases to amaze me when you tell people to use oil on their chains, their replys are, ah sure why would I pay e6 for PTFE oil when I have WD40 at home?
Id love to correct them but they are for the most part know it alls and wouldnt understand the term co efficient of friction.

Personally I use GT85 for freeing up parts and lubing hinges, cables etc

kona

kona wrote: »

Personally I use GT85 for freeing up parts and lubing hinges, cables etc

Nice smell off that stuff too :pac:

kona

RoverJames wrote: »

Nice smell off that stuff too :pac:

sure is! leaves a nice shine on metal too.

langdang

Anything I'd need penetrating oil for, WD40 will do.
For real heavy duty stuff I sure Loctite (or wurth) do something.
There was someone on here before praising something called black magic, but I ain't going googling black magic penetration...
Lubricant versus non-lubricant depends on what you need from a lubricant...

doctorchopper

most motor factors will stock penetrating oil, as well as halfords have it.

Owen

Novatio PTFE is savage, Innovation Ireland sell it, but it's never failed me yet.

slimjimmc

I'm surprised nobody bothered to look up the WD40 website to find out what it is or isn't.
It should be good enough for most jobs unless the OP has a particular requirement.

What does WD-40 do?
WD-40 fulfills five basic functions:
1. CLEANS: WD-40 gets under dirt, grime and grease to clean. It also dissolves adhesives, allowing easy removal of labels, tape and excess bonding material.
2. DISPLACES MOISTURE: Because WD-40 displaces moisture, it quickly dries out electrical systems to eliminate moisture-induced short circuits.
3. PENETRATES: WD-40 loosens rust-to-metal bonds and frees stuck, frozen or rusted metal parts.
4. LUBRICATES: WD-40's lubricating ingredients are widely dispersed and tenaciously held to all moving parts.
5. PROTECTS: WD-40 protects metal surfaces with corrosion-resistant ingredients to shield against moisture and other corrosive elements.

-Corkie-

Good thinking Jim. Its great stuff I love the new can where the straw folds down the side of the can..:)

noel farrell

aldi and lidel good price works for me

kona

slimjimmc wrote: »

I'm surprised nobody bothered to look up the WD40 website to find out what it is or isn't.
It should be good enough for most jobs unless the OP has a particular requirement.

Its good for a few very select jobs, where the area would be sealed from water.

Spit is a lube to a certain extent, still wouldnt use it. WD isnt a lube, no matter what they say, Ive tried it , its a terrible lube. Its a Excellent penetrant though, but the lack of PTFE is a big minus.

There are better products, some cheaper.

biko

Halfords has one for bikes that's pretty good.
Or get W5 silicone spray in Lidl or Aldi.

slimjimmc

kona wrote: »

Its good for a few very select jobs, where the area would be sealed from water.

Spit is a lube to a certain extent, still wouldnt use it. WD isnt a lube, no matter what they say, Ive tried it , its a terrible lube. Its a Excellent penetrant though, but the lack of PTFE is a big minus.

There are better products, some cheaper.

Indeed, and I personally wouldn't use it as lubricant either.

loyatemu

thanks for all the suggestions folks - re WD40, I have some, I tried it and it didn't work.

If you google "penetrating oil" you'll find a number of references to a comparison test done in the US where WD-40 performed very poorly against dedicated penetrating oils, such as the 2 mentioned in my OP. I'll have a look for the Novatio stuff recommended by PaintDoctor.

SpannerMonkey

where i work we use WD-40 for loosening rusty bolts and use GT-85 if we want a layer of lubricant left on it